The gate to Thompson Canyon's southern end is locked and is no longer a viable option for short and convenient access. The standard access is now via the longer, rougher Davenport Lookout/Thompson Canyon route.

New Mexico CRAG (NMCRAG) will continue to be in contact with the ranch owners and the Forest Service to see if it can resolve this issue. In the meantime, please respect the closure, spread the word and don't attempt to drive through the private ranch.

This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund,
and Mountain Project.You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates.

Description

Start just left of Jabberwocky on the same platform. Make a few easy moves to set up for the first crux. Manage through this and head up on easy but pumpy moves. At times it is unavoidable (at the grade) to avoid using a few holds on Rumplestiltskin, without moving off the intended bolt line. Continue up managing the pump to another crux. Pull this and head up to a no hands rest, rest up and merge into Rumplestiltskin past two more bolts to the anchors.

Contains a few hard moves for a tower route, but there are plenty of jugs to rest on.

A new route so the rock is still a little chossy, should clean up with time.

Location

Between Rumplestiltskin and Jabberwocky. Starts just left of Jabberwocky on the small platform

Looked like it was a little squeezed to me but I have not been on it. I will reserve judgment until after I climb it. I hope it is not one of those climbs where you have to force yourself not to move 3 feet right to the obvious line of holds. I don't mind sharing a hold or two if the lines are naturally separate as most routes at the tower are. I don't like totally contrived routes where the bolt line is a few feet off the line of easier holds so you have to stay on the bolt line to maintain the grade. It would be sad to see that start happening at the tower.

Rumor has it that this climb will eventually get it's own anchors, making it a better and more independant line.

Fortunatly 90% of this line uses its own holds while climbing the natural line. It is the other 10%, the closeness of the bolts between this and Rumplestiltskin, and the currently shared anchors that make this squeezed imo.

The name is something like White Queen or White Blizzard or something, but I can't remember exactly.

people seem to be traversing off the the line going left to avoid the moves it does go strait through without any added difficulty. I think chalk confuses people and makes it easier to go to familiar ground. the same thing happened to Adam reeds routes when they were added. you should try to go strait through rather than bail. the moves are good and the grade is the same. 5.12a The name is White Witch and I will try to get the route its own anchors so we will have one more independent line to train on. I think it will be great once it cleans up with traffic.

I can't believe another summer has gone by and I didn't make it over. So I still cannot make a judgment about whether it is squeezed or not. But your comments are interesting Lance. If as you say the chalk confuses people and they go to familiar ground, that ground must be pretty close by. I personally don't care much for routes that cause you to ask "is this hold on?" That is when it becomes contrived or squeezed.

Also the idea of putting a route at the Tower so you have another route to train on sounds odd. I always felt that there were more than enough routes to run laps on at the tower. Guy Agee who helped me write the current guidebook had done, at that time, every route on the tower and linked up every possible climb. Mad Hatter to the finish of Rubber Mission, Goliath to Mad Hatter, and so on. If you are bored and need more training you might try doing that.

Not trying to get in a fight here just some thoughts. As I said I have not climbed the route so I can't comment on the squeeze aspect but based on your comment I just had these thoughts.

I would have to agree that this line is squeezed and adds very little uniqueness to the tower. It's fun and worth doing if you're trying to tick off all the tower routes, but certainly the worst of it's grade on the tower. Both a middle section and the upper section are shared holds with Rumplestilskin. If your not paying close attention(as me) and focused on clipping the bolts in front of you, you will end up clipping the bolt on Rumplestilskin, going back on route, and can find your self with hellish rope drag (then reversing course to clean the bolt you clipped on Rumplestilskin).

Route is also still dirty and one can look forward to bits of sand coming out of some of the holds.

As far as the grade goes, I felt this route was a bit more difficult than Rumplestilskin but easier than Jabberwacky. There seemed to be three distinct and sequency crux moves, all with fairly reachy and big moves.

One of the great things about the Tower is the onsight potential of most routes. You see the chalked pockets and you try to unlock the sequence or just pull til you get to the next jug. This climb is so close to other routes that I spent a good bit of time trying to decide what holds to use and this just ruins it for me. I am sure when this was top roped it was easy to work around the other climb's holds and convince yourself it was worth bolting. I have done it myself. Yes there is some fun climbing (where isn't there at the tower) but you need gym tape to figure out where the route goes. As Disturbing the Peace said the route would be great if it stood alone or had more space between it and the other routes. Sorry Lance, you have put up good routes and you know what makes a good route. Trying to decide what holds are on and which are not means leave the drill in the car.

Great new route Lance!! Very unique for tower climbing. Powerful moves and a no hands off width rest! very cool. We need climbs in the shade here in NM, so thanks. I had no problem following the line. I at one point touched a hold from Jabber and finished the last bolt on Rumple. Still, the line was primarily independent and once it cleans up it should rival it's neighbors.

Got on this route for the first time this weekend and really enjoyed the route! Independent line of its own IMO. Anyone know of any plans (soon) to add a couple bolts to this line so it continues straight up to its own set of anchors? That would be great. Cool line.

I though the lower section of this route climbed really well. The only thing that is lacking down there is the fact that everyone goes to CHALK. If you look for the holds or if there was not a ton go chalk all over Rumpled you would never think twice. Sweet sinker 2 and 3 finger pockets lead up the lower half of this route.

If this climb gets more traffic, a couple of more bolts, and its own set of anchors I think it could be a great route.

As for shared holds: I spent quite a bit of time trying to unlock a decent sequence to get through the lower/middle section and decided that using two holds on Rumple was much less contrived and kept the grade in the ball park. I found a couple of holds that could be used to keep it independent, but they were pretty bad and would increase the difficulty significantly. I also used one or two holds on Jabber by the big tongue shaped feature. With this beta I still felt like it was significantly harder than Rumple and an incredibly difficult onsight considering the lack of chalk and traffic.

That being said, there are some huge, fun moves on big holds with potential for safe air. Fun route if you're looking for some adventure.